Replacing the headlights in a Jeep car is a great way to ensure that you have the best visibility possible when driving at night or in bad weather conditions. Headlights also let the oncoming motorists know where you are on the road, when driving conditions get so hazardous that you cannot see the road lines. The Jeep car has two bulbs per assembly. This means that the high beam and low beam bulbs are separate inside the assembly. Replacing the bulbs should take no longer than two hours. All of the tools and materials for this job are available at an auto parts store.

Remove the screws that go around the chrome headlight bezel using the Phillips head screwdriver. Once the bezel is unscrewed, the light may fall out of the housing so be prepared.

Pull out the headlight using one hand then unplug the back of the bulb from the harness using your other hand. The headlight assembly is a sealed unit and can be replaced in one piece without buying a separate bulb, and they're typically fairly inexpensive.

Plug the replacement headlight into the harness manually then put the replacement headlight in the grille. You may have to hold it in place with one hand and then put the chrome bezel back onto the light while you tighten the bezel down using a Phillips head screwdriver.

Items you will need

Phillips head screwdriver

Replacement headlight assembly

How to Change Headlights on a 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo

Remove the two bolts that hold the headlight assembly into the radiator core support. These two bolts are on top of the headlight assembly, and can be removed with a 1/4-inch drive ratchet and a socket.

Remove the headlight assembly completely and rest it on the front bumper.

Remove the light bulb sockets by turning them counterclockwise. The outer light socket is the low beam headlight, while the inner light socket (toward the grille) is the high beam light bulb. Both the 2006XS and the 2005XS light bulbs are created so that you cannot put either on in the wrong socket.

Remove the light bulbs from the sockets. Replace the lights with new bulbs. Use a paper towel or clean rag to insert the new bulbs. Do not touch the new light bulbs with your skin directly. Oil from the skin can cause the light bulb to immediately blister and explode when lit.

Insert the new lights back into the headlight assembly.

Reinstall the headlight assembly. Tighten the fastener bolts back down using between 15 and 20 foot-pounds of pressure. Test the headlights on the side you have completed.

Repeat Steps 1 through 6 on the second side of the vehicle to complete this project.

Items you will need

2-New low beam light bulbs (#9006XS)

2-New high beam light bulbs (#9005XS)

1/4-inch drive ratchet and socket set

Clean rag or paper towel

How do I Change a Headlight in a 1996 Jeep Cherokee?

Remove your Jeep's headlight bezel by loosening the three screws that hold it on with a screwdriver. There is one screw in the top inside corner and two on the side marker lens. The headlight bezel is the chrome outer ring around the headlight.

Sit the bezel off to the side.

Loosen the 4 screws that hold the headlight retaining ring into place using a screwdriver. You have two at the top and two at the bottom of the headlight.

Remove the retaining ring by simply pulling it away from the headlight.

Pull your headlight straight out using your hands.

Coat the prongs of your new headlight with bulb grease. This makes replacement easier in the future by preventing corrosion.

Push your new headlight into the sock until it is completely plugged in and sits level in the headlight cup.

Place the headlight retaining ring back into place. Hand-tighten the 4 screws around the retaining ring.

Tighten the 4 screws around the headlight retaining ring using the screwdriver.

Put your headlight bezel back into place and tighten the three screws using a screwdriver.

Items you will need

Phillips head screwdriver

Bulb grease

How to Change a Headlight in a Jeep Liberty

Make sure the headlight switch inside the Liberty is in the "Off" position.

Open the hood to access the headlight bulb(s).

Remove the air intake tube if you are replacing the passenger-side headlight bulb. The air intake tube will simply unsnap by hand, and its removal will allow better access to the headlight bulb. If replacing the driver's side headlight, proceed to Step 4.

Disconnect the wire harness going to the headlight socket. For people with large hands, this might present an awkward challenge to access.

Turn the blue collar counterclockwise one-third of a turn to disconnect it from the headlight assembly.

Remove the headlight bulb from the collar and discard it.

Put on the latex gloves.

Open the blister package of the new headlight bulb, and insert the bulb into the blue collar base.

Insert the collar and bulb assembly into the headlight assembly, and align the tabs of the collar and bulb to the notches in the headlight assembly.

Turn the collar and bulb assembly clockwise one-third of a turn to lock it into place.

Plug the wire harness plug back into the back of the headlight.

Turn the lights on to make sure they're working properly.

Replace the air intake tube if you replaced the passenger side headlight bulb. Remove the packaging and old bulb if necessary before closing the hood.

Items you will need

Latex gloves

Replacement headlight bulb

How to Replace a Headlight in a Jeep Grand Cherokee

Disconnect the negative battery cable from the battery with an open-end wrench.

Locate the long headlight jack screw on the top of the headlight and remove the jack screw with a 7 mm socket wrench.

Grasp the headlight assembly on the top and bottom and rock it carefully until it comes loose from the ball studs on the vehicle frame.

Pull the headlight out of the vehicle frame to access the light bulb sockets in the back of the headlight.

Remove the light bulb sockets from the back of the headlight by pulling them straight out by hand.

Set the headlight out of the way and replace any burned out light bulbs by removing the bulbs and inserting new ones into each socket.

Insert the light bulb sockets into the back of the replacement headlight and press the headlight into the ball sockets in the vehicle's frame until they snap into place.

Secure the long headlight jack screw into the top of the headlight with the socket wrench.

Reattach the negative battery cable to the Jeep Grand Cherokee's battery with the open-end wrench.

Items you will need

Open-end wrench

7 mm socket wrench

About the Author

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